Structural framing members



30, .1968 R. J. PlTlLLo 3,365,852

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United States Patent O 3,365,852 STRUCTURAL FRAN/UNG MEMBERS Ronald l'. Pitillo, 517 W. lst St., Elmira, NX. 14901 Filed' .lune 2t), 1966, Ser. No. 558,672 14 Claims. (Cl. 52636) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This invention concerns the fabrication of structural members, such as beams, columns, trusses, girders, etc., from standard rolled steel sections provided with ilanges and solid webs therebetween. The members are virtually tailor-made by severing the webs of the sections, and in addition removing a triangular section from an end of the web, as part of its severance, to permit a re-uniting of the severed ends of the web to dispose the flanges of each of the web portions in angular relation. The web portions of each structural member are dimensioned to attain the maximum loading capacities for the reconstituted member, in dependence upon the charac-ter of the stresses imposed thereon, i.e., in compression or tension. `No metal of the original section is wasted since the abovementioned triangular section is inserted at the web portions and is united therewith to enhance the loading capacities of the structural member.

Summa/y of the invention The instant invention makes possible the production of steel structural members of all types, meeting diverse loading specifications, from standard rolled steel flanged sections with solid webs. These members may be fabricated in the field, at the building site, from the standard sections by cutting the latter along the w-hole length of the web of -a section, which cut includes the excision of a triangular portion from one end thereof. The severed portions are reunited, by welding, at the latter end of the web portions to dispose component chords ofthe member in angular relation. This joint between the ends of the chords is complemented by amxing the excised triangular section to the edges of the Webs, adjacent to the apex formed thereby. By varying the severance lines of the standard sections, and by combining the structural niembers which are reconstituted therefrom, it is possible to attain all types of beams, columns, trusses, etc., with solid or open webs, symmetrical or non-symmetrical single or double-pitched chords, etc.

Objects and description of the invention This invention relates to the fabrication of structural framing members having angularly disposed flanges from flanged beams, and particularly to the production of structural beams, columns and trusses having angularly disposed chords from standard structural beams having solid webs and flanges extending transversely from the edges of the web.

It is the object of the present invention to produce structural framing members of increased loading capacity and greater design flexibility from standard structural beams. These framing members are designed to meet special loading requirements so that the metal of the `structural beams is used at maximum eliiciency.

It is another object of the present invention to fabricate structural framing members of special design in close proximity to the point of use by simple metal cutting and joining procedures, so that the original standard structural members from which such are produced may be manufactured at low cost and shipped economically to the point of utilization. No heavy and costly machinery is ICC required at the latter location for the fabrication and final assembly of the component parts.

The invention permits the obtention, at low cost, of structural units having a variety of shapes and loading capabilities by simple metal working procedures `such as cutting and welding.

The invention contemplates the transformation of standard structural members having solid webs with `flanges extending transversely from the edges of the Webs into special framing members such as beams, columns or trusses. For example, a standard labeam having a solid web extending between the integral flanges extending parallelly and transversely Ifrom the opposite edges thereof may be transformed easily by -a few metaleworking operations into an open-webbed structural truss having spaced chords disposed angularly with respect to each other. Basically, this is attained by cutting or excising a triangular Wedge from one end of the web of the I-beam and severing the remainder of the web to form a pair of chord members having transverse flanges formed integrally With the webs and extending tranversely therefrom. The two chord members are poined along the severance lines of the triangular wedge by continuous welding lines or spot Welding to impart an angular disposition to the chords corresponding to the angle of the apex of the triangular wedge. The truss is reinforced by inserting the excised triangular Wedge in the corner formed between the chords, and the severed lateral edges of the wedge are joined to the severed edges of the webs of said chords which diverge from the inner end of the junction line of the chords. Here again, the joining may be executeed by either spot or continuous welding.

This basic procedure may be used in the fabrication of structural trusses, columns, purlins, joists, rafters, beams and girders of wide application, which may be disposed horizontally, vertically or at diverse inclinations. The trusses with angularly disposed chords may serve las single pitched supports, supports having double-pitched upper chords and a single lower chord, supports in which both the upper and lower chords are double pitched either in opposite directions or in the same direction, and the like.

In all of these cases, substantial economies are realized by virtue of the fact that substantially all of the metal of the standard beam is utilized at maximum efliciency. Furthermore, the slicing or cutting operations may be executed rapidly along the length of the web and at one or both ends thereof with any supplementary cutting which may be required in dependence upon the intended use of the fabricated framing member. Whatever cutting and joining operations are necessary, may be executed with simple portable tools and equipment such as cutting and Welding torches. Furthermore, the mechanical strength of the structural members accruing from the integral connections between the webs and boundary flanges lremains intact because the cutting and welding operations are executed at those portions of the structural framing members which are remote from the outer edges of the units, where the compression and tension forces are greatest. Thus, the invention provides for the disposition of the welded joints closer to the neutral axis of the structural members, where the effects of any weakening influences occasioned by such joints are minimized. Furthermore, the longitudinal severance of the web permits an efcient apportionment of the metal therein between the web portions or chords in tension and compression so that the fabricated beams, columns, or trusses may be subjected to maximum loadings.

Other objects and purposes will appear from the detailed description of the invention following hereinafter,

taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a standard Ibeam of uniform cross-section which is cut in a special manner for the fabrication of a structural truss component;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the truss component fabricated from the parts of the standard Ibeam shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of a standard Ibeam of uniform cross-section which is cut in a manner indicated in this gure for the formation of a horizontal truss having a double pitch;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the truss fabricated from the beam shown in FIG. 3, characterized by a doublepitched upper chord and a single integral lower chord;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of a standard Ibeam marked for severance to form a structural truss in which both the upper and lower chords are double pitched;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the structural truss fabricated from the standard Ibeam shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of two portions of a standard Ibeam which are marked for the formation of a nonsymmetrical structural truss in which both the upper and lower chords are double-pitched in the same direction;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation of the non-symmetrical truss obtained from the components illustrated in FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9 to l1 are front elevations of structural steel layouts embodying roof beams and supporting columns therefor which are produced in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 12 is a front elevation of another embodiment of a structural beam assembly in accordance with the invention.

In the drawings is shown a standard structural member which is illustrated as a conventional Ibeam of uniform cross-section which is rolled with upper and lower anges F and F', with a web W extending therebetween. Such standard I-beams have been modified heretofore by cutting and welding operations, for the obtention of special designs of structural units, and such are illustrated in United States Patents Nos. 1,644,940, Oct. ll, 1927 and 3,066,394, Dec. 4, 1962.

The present invention is concerned with the economical and expeditious production of structural framing members such as structural beams, columns and trusses having upper and lower chords which are angularly disposed relative to each other, and which utilize all of the metal derived from the original Ibeam B to obtain the most eiiicient utilization of the metal in the original beam. This is attained by cutting a triangular wedge T from one end of the web W along severance lines 1 and 2. The wedge T may Ibe of any suitable triangular form; for example, an obtuse, right or isosceles triangle having sides 0f unequal or equal length. It is shown herein as being in the form of an isosceles t-riangle, with lateral sides of equal length. The severance of the web is continued from the apex of the triangle along line 3 to the opposite end of the web at any desired angularity. This serves to subdivide the standard Ibeam into three parts which are used to form the truss component shown in FIG. 2. The portions of the upper and lower chords which are bounded by the severance lines 1 and 2 are joined by either spot or continuous welding, and the triangular wedge T is inserted into the corner formed by the upper and lower chords, with the lateral edges of the wedge joined to the edges of the severed webs 4 and 5 adjacent to the end of the junction line of the edges 1 and 2. Thereby, a truss component is obtained in which the flanges F and F of the upper and lower chords are integral with the webs so that the chords are not weakened by any welding operations at the outer portions of the unit. The welding joints along edges 1 and 2, and 6 and 7, are closer to the neutral axis of the members so that any weaknesses occasioned by such joining procedures have no serious etiect on the mechanical strength of the truss component. Furthermore, the sub-division of the web W of the standard Ibeam into web portions 4 and S may be proportioned correspondingly to the structural requirements of the respective chords of the truss component. Thus, in view of the fact that structural steels, like most structural materials, are capable of withstanding greater tensile stresses than compressive stresses, it is possible to distribute the steel in the webs so that a greater amount thereof is disposed at the points of occurrence of maximum compressive stresses, while a lesser amount of steel is disposed where the stresses are in tension. It is for this reason that the web 4 is cut wider than the web S if the truss component is to be used in a place where the upper chord is subjected to compressive stresses while the lower chord is subjected to tensile stresses.

A practical application of the basic structure shown in FIGS. l and 2 is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 for the fabrication of a structural truss having a single horizontal lower chord and a double-pitched upper chord. For the fabrication of a structural truss having a single horizontal from the opposite end of the web of Ibeam B, along lines I, 12 and llt', 12', respectively. The cuts 13 and 13 are continued from the apexes of the triangular wedges towards the transverse median 14 of the beam and are pitched in a downward direction so that the webs 16, 16 of the upper chords are of greater width than the web portions 17, 17' of the lower chord. A triangular excision I5 is cut from the mid-portion of the upper web and the llange F is severed at the apex in order to permit each of the upper chord portions to be pitched upwardly, as indicated in FIG. 4. The two upper chord portions are welded at the junctions of the ange portions F and webs 16, 16. Also, the welding of the juncture edges 11, 12, and 11', 12 of the upper and lower chords and the insertion of the wedges T and T into the corners formed by the webs of the chords, gives rise to a structural truss of maximum strength which utilizies all of the material in the original web W of the I-beam with the exception of the small triangle cut 1S from the central portion of the upper chord. The resulting truss is open-webbed with all the attendant advantages flowing therefrom in permitting conduits and wiring to be extended therethrough, and the metal in the original web is apportioned between the upper and lower chords to impart maximum strength thereto.

The supports S for the truss may be varied within the limits or ranges indicated in FIG. 4. Furthermore, supports may also be disposed at the central portion of the truss upon the provision of supplementary web bracing between the chords at that portion.

The arrangements shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 indicate the mode of cutting a standard Ibeam to obtain a structural truss in which both the upper and lower chords are double pitched. The procedure is the same as described above in conjunction with the structural truss illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The triangular wedges T and T are cut from the opposite ends of the web W of the beam B along lines 21, 22 and 21', 22. The severance lines 23, 23 of the web are continued to the mid-portion thereof to form the web portions of the chords 26, 26', and 27, 27 in the desired proportions. In addition to the triangular excision 25 from the web portions 26, 25', a triangular cut 24 is excised from the web portions 27, 27', and the horizontal flange F' is severed at the apex thereof in order to permit a pitching of the lower chord, as indicated in FIG. 6. The inner adjoining ends of the flange portions F and F', as well as webs 26, 26 and 2'7, 27 are welded in conjunction with the welding of outer ends of the chords 2l, 22 and 21', 22 and the triangular wedges T and T'. In some instances, the flanges F and F may be merely bent at their central peaks, which results in a more homogeneous connection. Also, the truss may be supported at the points S, which may vary in position as indicated in FIG. 6.

The units shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 may be fabricated from two members of equal length and cross-section as shown in FIG. 2, which are welded at the center.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the `fabrication of a doublepitched truss construction which is unsymmetrical and which is cut from two unequal lengths B and B' `of a standard I-beam. The isosceles triangular wedges T and T are cut along the lines 31, 32 and 33, 34 from the remote ends of the beams or the opposite ends of the same beam which is severed unequally into the length B and B'. The angular cuts 35 and 35' in the webs W i0f the I-beams serve to distribute the metal in the web in any desired porportion. The inner ends of the upper chords 36, 36 are trimmed along angular lines 37, '37', respectively, in order to permit the upper chords to be pitched at any desired angle. Similarly, the inner ends 39 and 39' of the lower chords 3S and 38' are cut off in unequal amounts, de-

ending upon the extent of the pitch desired to be imparted to the lower chord members. Because the upper chords 36 and 36' are of greater length than the lower chords 3S and 38', it is necessary to reduce the length of the lower chords prior to welding the inner ends, and the difference in the length of the ends 39 and 39' which are cut off is controlled by the degree of nonsymmetry between the two parts of the double pitched truss. FIG. 8 shows flanges E and E' at the inner ends of the chords if bolted connections are desired at these points rather than welded connections. Gusset plates may also be used at these points to effect connections at the point of assembly.

As in the case of the other constructions, the truss shown in FIG. 8 may be supported at suitable points S relative to the ends of the units and the boundaries 4of the triangular wedges T and T.

If desired, or necessary, any of the truss constructions described above may be reinforced additionally by bracing webs extending between the upper and lower chords in supplement to the triangular wedges. Other reenforcements may take the form of lateral flange bracing, scab plates, struts, stitfeners, gussets, end plates, etc.

In FlG. 9 is shown a steel framework composed of roof beams and supporting columns therefor. The opposite columns `C and C carry a roof-supporting system composed of flanged end beams 4t), 40' and intermediate beams el, 41. The columns C and C' are fabricated in a manner similar to the truss component described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 and feature a hanged beam from which is cut a triangular wedge l2 or 4Z', respectively, which is in turn inserted into the web, as shown in FIG. 9. Similarly, triangular wedges 43 and 43' form parts of the end beams 4t) and 49' and triangular wedges id and 44' constitute parts of the intermediate beams 41 and di'. The custom-designed beams in the structural assembly shown in FIG. 9 feature triangular wedges of substantial length compared to the beam lengths with no openings in the final web of the assembly. However, all of the structural units utilize the high strength character istics of the original flanged beams from which they are produced with the flanges integral with the Webs thereof. This presents an improvement over the production of welded-up units of the tape disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,224,151, Dec. 2l, 1965, with the consequent possibilities of weaknesses in construction from the Welding joints between the webs and the flanges.

Different arrangements of roof beams and supporting columns therefor are shown in FIGS. l0 and 11. In the former, the columns C, C are formed from welded components of a flanged beam in which the webs have been severed in conjunction with the derivation of triangular wedges 45, 45'. These columns support double-pitched flanged roof beams 46, 46' incorporating triangular wedges 47, 47.

In FIG. 11 the columns C, C', incorporating triangular wedges 48, 48', support substantially horizontal tianged beams 49, 49' which embody in the webs thereof triangular wedges Sti, Sti'.

When the components shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 are bolted together rather than welded, connecting flanges are 6 provided at the junction points, similar to E and E in the unit shown in FIG. 8.

In FIG. 12 is shown a special cantilever beam formed by portions 60, 60', each of which is composed of upper and lower chords with triangular inserts 61, 61 inserted in the webs of said portions medially of the beam. The webs 63, 63' of the upper chords are of lesser cross-section than the webs 64, 64' of the lower chords by virtue of the fact that the cantilever supports S therefor places the upper chords in tension and the lower chords in cornpression. This necessitates a greater amount of metal in the lower chords and represents 'a reverse situation from that depicted in the trusses illustrated in FIGS. l to 8. Also, the beams may be open-webbed in some cases.

While I have described my invention as embodied in specific form and as operating in specific manners for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that I do not limit by invention thereto, since various modifications -will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A structural framing unit formed of the integrated completely severed components of an original rectilinear structural member having iianges with a web therebetween, said unit having spaced web portions disposed angularly relative to each other with each web portion cut from the web of said structural member and apportioned in size in :accordance with the loading requirements of the framing unit while the external boundaries of said fra-ming unit are defined by the integral flanges of said original structural member in their originally rectilinear outline, a unitary triangular excision disposed at the apex of the angularly disposed web portions and joined to the free edges thereof, said triangular excision being derived from one end of the web of said structural member along straight tapered edges, which upon juxtaposition of said free and tapered edges and the uniting thereof, impart the desired `angularity to said web portions.

2. A structural framing unit las set forth in claim 1 wherein the web portions which are cut from the web of said structural member are non-symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the latter.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said triangular excision complernents the web portions to form a framing unit with a solid web between the opposed flanges.

4. A device las set forth in claim 1 wherein the edges of said triangular excision are shorter than the edges of the adjoining web portions to form the framing unit as an open-webbed truss with angularly disposed chords.

5. A structural truss formed of a pair of trusses as defined in claim 4 disposed in congruous relation to form a double pitch along one of its chords.

6. A structural truss formed of a pair of trusses as defined in claim 4 disposed in congruous relation to form a double pitch along both of its chords.

7. A device as set forth in claim 5 formed from a unitary original structural member wherein said triangular excision is duplicated at each end of the web of said member, and the severance lines in said last-mentioned web from the apexes of said excisions slope towards one of said flanges at the central portion thereof, to form the minimal depth of the other chord of said truss, the central portion of the web of greater depth of said structural member adapted to have a small triangle cut therefrom, to permit juxtaposition of the inner terminal ends of the deeper web and the joining thereof in conjunction with the ends of the flanges extending therefrom, to irnpart the double pitch angularity to said one chord of greater depth.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7 wherein the other chord of minimal depth at the center thereof is rectilinear.

9. A device as set forth in claim 7 wherein the other chord of minimal depth has a symmetrical geometric figure cut therefrom at the point of minimal depth to permit said last-mentioned chord to be double-pitched in addition to the chord of greater depth.

11i. A device as set forth in claim 7 wherein the other chord of `minimal depth has a triangle cut therefrom at the point of minimal depth to permit said last-mentioned chord to be double-pitched in addition to the chord of greater depth.

11. A structural truss formed of a pair of trusses as dened in claim 4 derived from two original structural members of identical cross-section but of unequal length disposed in opposed relation with triangular excisions of unequal size, to form an unsymmetrical framing unit having a double pitch along at least one of the chords.

12. A structural truss formed of a pair of trusses as dened in claim 4 derived from two original structural members of identical cross-section but of unequal length disposed in opposed relation with triangular excisions of unequal size, to form an unsymmetrical framing unit having a double-pitch along both spaced chords thereof.

13. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said original structural member is a rolled I-beam having the opposed ilanges integral with the web and parallel to each other,

14. The method of fabricating a structural framing unit having angularly disposed web portions from a standard rectilinear structural member provided with anges and a solid integral web therebetween, which comprises cutting completely a unitary triangular wedge from one end of the web of said structural member, cutting completely the rest of said web to separate the structural member into two parts, each adapted to form a portion of said structural framing unit, joining the webs of said two portions at one end thereof at a junction line coincident with the severance lines of said triangular Wedge to dispose said portions angularly relative to each other without bending reenforcing said unit by inserting the excised unitary triangular wedge in the `angle formed between said web portions, and joining the severed edges of said wedge to the adjoining edges of said web portions which diverge from the end of said junction line thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 678,380 7/1901 Davis 52--635 1,498,176 6/1924 Lachman 52-720 1,644,940 10/1927 Moyer 52-634 1,676,258 7/1928 Fork 29-155 2,277,615 3/1942 Townsend 52-636 2,462,199 2/1949 Kehoe 29-155 2,783,718 3/1957 Cheshire 52-720 2,875,711 3/1959 Mackintosh 52-639 3,224,151 12/1965 Nystrom 52-90 FOREIGN PATENTS 505,566 9/1951 Belgium.

FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner. 

